Audit supervisor Jamie Ashworth

The latest installment in our interview series that celebrates our employees and the careers they are building with Crowe. We talk to staff about what it is like to work with our firm. They outline the career opportunities that Crowe offers, our unique firm culture and the CSR and social programmes that staff run.

What was your primary degree?
Economics in UCD.

Before working at Crowe, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
Casino attendant. Working there I really learned to appreciate the value of money. I was baffled as I witnessed people feeding slot machines and returning day after day to do the same thing. Some days they were up but most days the house won.

What is it about a career in accountancy that appealed to you?
Getting to see the inner workings of our client’s businesses really is the best way to improve your business knowledge and to join together the theoretical and practical elements of accounting and business generally.

What does your job entail?

• Auditing clients’ businesses
• Preparing financial statements
• Performing data analysis for use as part of audits and presenting to clients

Describe a typical day
This can vary from a day in the office working on files through accounts software to spending days in warehouses full of fruit and vegetables or in a hotel.

When in the office the day will usually involve working with Caseware (audit software) and Microsoft office to audit client records and put audit files together. These will then be reviewed by a manager and partner and issues will be returned to me for resolution prior to any sign off of an audit report.

When on site with clients, the day will usually involve a lot of interaction with the finance team of the client. This can range from querying figures provided to looking through boxes of invoices to locate supporting information for audit testing. People skills are hugely important for this part of my role.

What three words would you use to describe your role?
Challenging
Rewarding
Interesting

What is the most challenging thing about your job?
Balancing the workload and ensuring deadlines are met

What do you like most about your job?
The variety of businesses in terms of size and industry that I have seen through my day-to-day work.

How did you find working and studying at the same time?
Having sat all three sets of Chartered exams (CAP1, 2 and FAE) while working I can confirm this is a massive challenge. It does develop a sense of comradery with peers in the office as you find you have each other’s backs in relation to taking notes and studying together.

What is different about working at Crowe?
The opportunities to work directly alongside partners from an early stage is something that I have found to be different. The knowledge and experience that I have seen in action in my 4 years with Crowe has been abundant.

How has Crowe helped you in your career development?
The variety of work I have been exposed to and given responsibility for in Crowe has helped me develop to the point I am currently at.

What are 3 words to describe Crowe?
Changing
Close-knit

Crowe’s values are Agility, Curiosity, Affinity and Clarity.
What personal values define you?
Hard working, inquisitive, sociable. Unfortunately, I haven’t got the agility that I once had!

Favourite memory from work?
Coming in the day I passed my FAEs. It felt like a milestone had been passed and it was great to celebrate it with friends and colleagues.

What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
“When you have to bring a problem to someone, try to always bring a solution as well” – Manager in previous employment.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
I’m a massive sports fan particularly rugby, soccer and golf. I play golf however my soccer and rugby is limited to 5-a-side and tag these days.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Ben & Jerrys “Sofa So Good” ice cream.

What is your hidden talent?
I fancy myself as a bit of a barista, although my latte art needs some improvement.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I would say early bird. I like getting up and starting the day early, always with a coffee.